BIO

Native Wisconsin artist, Trace Chiodo has three passions in life – art, fishing, and golf. All three passions were cultivated from a very early age. He was mentored by a Door County artist in grade school; however, it wasn’t until a post-high-school job opportunity at Geneva National Golf Course that his passion for design was discovered. Each hole became his canvas and the mower his brush as he designed the pristinely manicured patterns that define championship-level fairways and greens.

In pursuit of his dream to become a graphic designer, Trace attended design school while working in the pre-press department of a commercial printing company. Within a year, he was asked to pioneer their in-house graphic design department. Five years later, Trace formed an independent graphic design company, Chiodo Design.

Trace has served clients nationally and globally by bringing their brands and value propositions to life artistically. He has won multiple awards for his design creativity and expertise. His graphic design company has also provided him the privilege to work side by side with fine artists, helping them to establish and grow their brands globally. It is this work that has ignited a passion in Trace to focus on creating his own original art.

Trace’s art is always a thoughtful reflection of his experiences, surroundings and passions. His current body of work “The Striking Faces of Golf”, for example, draws from his experiences in the world of golf to illustrate the striking face surfaces of antique wooden golf clubs in an abstract style. He has participated in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions. His work can be found in private collections.

Trace is continuously exploring and innovating. Curious to begin working [again] with acrylic paints, he recently enrolled in and completed a global course: In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Art sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. More than 500 artists [globally] completed the course, producing original pieces of modern art. Trace’s piece, titled “Refiner’s Fire” was one of those selected to appear digitally in an exhibit at MoMA featuring talented, up-and-coming artists.

Personal: Trace is married to his wife of 25 years, Susan, a jewelry artisan (onearthjewelry.com) also born and raised in Wisconsin. They have two daughters, Olivia and Sophia.